Lamprocapnos spectabilis – Photo: L. Weikel
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Bleeding Hearts
There are a couple of things I could write about tonight, but none of them are lighting my fingers on fire. Instead, I thought I might provide an update on a couple of recent posts because, you know: continuity.
About twelve days ago I wrote a post about the Lamprocapnos spectabilis (aka Dicentra spectabilis) that was sprouting in one of our gardens. Naturally, I took a photo of it and included it in the post (but also see below). I’ve taken another photo of the flourishing bleeding heart plant and provide that here for comparison (see above).
Twelve days ago – Photo: L. Weikel
In 12 short days, the nascent shoots just poking their heads through the dirt have been joined by several more – and all of them together are clamoring to reach the sun like a litter of kittens tumbling over themselves for a plate of milk.
While the growth has been dramatic, I’m starting to wonder about myself. Obviously I was bowled over the past couple of years when I would ‘suddenly’ realize the plant had flourished and was yielding gobs of blossoms. Equally as obvious is the fact that I must’ve been depressingly oblivious to my Lamprocapnos spectabilis to think they enjoyed some particularly rapid garden evolution.
It’s been 12 days after all. Yes, the plant is thriving. No, it’s not especially more compelling than the mad growth of everything right now, to be honest. Springtime is an extravaganza of growth bursting the seams of all the constructs, not just a few. Nevertheless, I’m asking the Bleeding Hearts to lead the way.
Mailbox Mayhem
While I have nothing to report as far as the apprehension of the person who vandalized our local police force’s pride and joy speed awareness tool, I can report some new about he who mowed down our mailbox.
And yes, it is a ‘he.’
Word on the street (more like the road, but we’ll go with the more common vernacular) is that ‘the guy was caught.’ While I’ve not independently verified the truth of this countryside gossip, it’s being said that the perpetrator was a young man who was extremely angry over his girlfriend breaking up with him. In fact, his anger was so great that he jumped into his truck and proceeded to smash at least 13 mailboxes all around our township.
Not only did he do thousands of dollars worth of damage to his truck, the scuttlebutt is that he’ll also be reimbursing each of us who lost a mailbox the sum of $75. That adds up quickly.
It doesn’t reimburse us for the time and hassle we’re experiencing just in getting another hole dug and a new pole and box set and mounted. But I’ll admit to feeling a smidge of satisfaction that he’s going to have to pay us at least something in restitution. Then again – I’ll believe it when I see it.
I hope he gets some help learning to deal more productively with his feelings. It sure was an expensive lesson. He did make one thing abundantly clear: it seems likely his girlfriend was sound in her judgment.
(T-232)